LA SPORTIVA CARE RECOMMENDATIONS

Even though La Sportiva boots are made of water repellent, pre-treated leather and are resistant to dirt, weathering and wear and tear can cause leather to dry out and deteriorate. After each use the boot should be cleaned of mud and dirt with a light water flow and a soft brush.

- eyelets (in and outside) should be carefully cleaned and dried in order to minimize the build-up of rust

- treat exposed leather on both sides (in and outside) with the right products

- allow boots to air-dry, not in the sun or near heat sources

- Take it to a knowledgeable cobbler for repairs

La Sportiva recommends choosing carefully the fit and size of the shoes, so that the foot is comfortably locked in place. In this way the foot can't move inside and the problems of wear and tear of calfskin leather, Cambrelle®, Gore-Tex® or other lining materials, will be eliminated.

To dry it out faster, we recommend unlacing the boot completely, taking out the removable foot bed, and putting the boot in a cool and dry place. It is a good rule to take always out the foot bed also in order to remove gravel that may have got into the boot and could damage the Gore-Tex or other membranes (if present).

Treatment of Idro-Perw, Anfibio, Nabuck, suede leather.

Never treat all these kinds of leather with oil-based products that can adversely affect the life and waterproofing characteristics of the boot.

Therefore it is important to use the right products on the market, water and wax-based waterproofing, like Nabuck Water-proofing from Nikwax, that we tested and sell with the brand name "La Sportiva®", and is available from our distributors and in specialized shops. This product is suitable for models with Gore-Tex®, calfskin leather and Cambrelle® lining.

The treatment should be applied to a wet boot to improve the penetration of the product in the leather. These products, besides improving the waterproofing characteristics of the boot, don't affect at all the other technical features, such as the breathability of Gore-Tex®.

The treatment with these waterproofing products is long lasting, but not permanent. Reapply the product as necessary or after every use in severe conditions. Please note, these products could darken the color of the leather.

Treatment of Cordura®/Gore-Tex®

We recommend the following special treatment for models made of Cordura® and Cordura®/leather, with Gore-Tex® or Cambrelle® linings. Also in this case we suggest using special products, always water and wax-based, that guarantee the simultaneous waterproofing of leather and nylon. We recommend something specific like Nikwax that we tested and sell with the brand name "La Sportiva®"; it is available from our distributors and in specialized shops.

Care for climbing shoes.

In this case too it is always better to allow the shoe to air dry after each use, instead of putting it in the backpack straight away. Also the sticky soles of the last generations should be cleaned after each use, to guarantee always-optimum quality standards. We recommend cleaning them with a damp cloth and then dry as explained above. Further, when the surface of a heavily worn sole begins to show the characteristic superficial "peeling", sign of wear and tear that causes also a reduction of the smearing performance, it is sufficient to grind it with sand-paper to restore the original characteristics.

The sole should be replaced before it is totally worn out, to avoid damage of the rand around the toe box. For the resoling, it is very important to turn to a specialized cobbler, who uses the original rubber "La Sportiva®".

NIKWAX - LA SPORTIVA

General notes

The products "NIKWAX" are water-based and allow optimum waterproofing when they are applied on wet leather.

Before the treatment we recommend cleaning the shoe with a damp cloth and afterwards applying the product sparingly.

You shouldn't worry about the white film that usually appears when a shoe dries out: it is easily cleaned with a damp cloth and is due to excessive application of the product.

The treatment with waterproofing NIKWAX is long lasting: therefore don't apply it too often.

Further, the water-based products Nikwax are sensitive to low temperatures. Don't apply treatments when the temperature is at or below 0° C.  Please be aware that NIKWAX products have a date of expiration (on average about two years).